Our Rights_Excerpt.pdf
2
Girls born into lower caste societies in India are expected to spend their lives shepherding goats, marrying young, and having many children—but this was not for Anita Khushwaha. When she was 6, Anita wanted to go to school so desperately she persuaded her parents to allow her to attend. Anita earned money for school fees by teaching other children and running errands for beekeepers. At 15, she boldly refused to be married. She pretended to go on a hunger strike for four days until her parents gave in. Anita had a dream—to become a beekeeper. But making honey was considered dangerous work, suitable for males only. Anita was not afraid of bees. She saved money for a year to buy a bee box with one queen bee. When the box began yielding honey, she bought a second one. Everyone called Anita crazy. They laughed when she was stung. But when her business started making a profit, people stopped teasing her. Now they called her “the Queen Bee.” Within four years, Anita had more than one hundred boxes. She bought a bike and enrolled in college. Her success inspired other families to take up beekeeping. Anita was named a UNICEF poster girl for helping to eliminate gender bias and becoming an inspiring role model for millions of girls in India. Now, every girl in Anita’s village attends school. Anita says: A dream does n’t become rea lity through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. Education breaks the cycle of poverty, especially for girls. One out of six children in the world does not attend school. Millions of others receive little or substandard instruction. Many countries deny children of ethnic minorities and girls an adequate education. School fees or the cost of uniforms keep many poor children out of school, dramatic ally limiting their future. Girls are subject to gender-based infanticide , malnutrition, and neglect. Ninety per cent of child domestic workers are girls. “At 7 boys go to school. At 7 girls clean the house. At 12 boys play sports. At 12 girls get married. At 14 boys are still playing. At 14 girls are having babies.”—Peggy, 17, Kenya “Girls are free to fly like honey bees and make their lives as sweet as honey.” Anita Khushwaha, 15, India Anita learned not to fear the bees. When Thandiwe Chama, 8, learned her school in Zambia closed because there were no teachers, she led a walk with sixty children in search of another school.
-
Upload
bibliocommons2012 -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
Transcript of Our Rights_Excerpt.pdf
7/27/2019 Our Rights_Excerpt.pdf
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/our-rightsexcerptpdf 1/2
Girls born into lower caste soc
expected to spend their lives
marrying young, and having man
was not or Anita Khushwaha. Wh
wanted to go to school so desper
her parents to allow her to attend.
or school ees by teaching other c
errands or beekeepers. At 15, sh
be married. She pretended to go
or our days until her parents g
dream—to become a beekeeper.
was considered dangerous work
only. Anita was not araid o bee
or a year to buy a bee box with othe box began yielding honey, sh
one. Everyone called Anita crazy.
she was stung. But when her busi
a prot, people stopped teasing h
her “the Queen Bee.” Within ou
more than one hundred boxes. Sh
enrolled in college. Her success in
to take up beekeeping. Anita wa
poster girl or helping to elimina
becoming an inspiring role model
India. Now, every girl in Anita’s vill
“Girls are ree to y like honey bees
and make their lives as sweet as honey.”
Anita Khushwaha, 15, India
Anita learned not to fear t
7/27/2019 Our Rights_Excerpt.pdf
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/our-rightsexcerptpdf 2/2
“School is a time or hopes and drea
want the same hope as every otheShannen trembled as she aced h
strators on the lawn o the Canad
presence o her riends, amily, and e
age to continue speaking. She desc
o the run-down portables in her rem
o Attawapiskat First Nation. “I want
like to never eel excited about bein
to eel pride when your classrooms
eel you can have the chance to g
body important when you don’t ha
like libraries.” Ater Shannen’s scho
diesel oil, the government brought
bles. Ater the third promise to bui
broken, Shannen’s eighth grade clastrip to go to Ottawa to challenge the
I am sad because the Indian Aairs
there was no money to build a new s
him! When I shook his hand, I told h
won’t quit.” Shannen made a video e
to write letters to the government
rights and unding or all First Natio
est youth-driven, children’s rights m
history moved the government to
ise, but Shannen will never see her n
in a car accident at 15. Her dream liv
“In Aboriginal principle, the circle has no beginning, no end; no one
is in ront, behind, above, or below. Together we keep the circle strong.”
Shannen Koostachin, 13, Canada
Shannen spoke on the steps of the Canad
